Fustercluck
by Hockey35
Summary: The Injustice League has struck, this time taking one of the Justice League's own, but with the Joker in charge, there's no telling what the real plan is. This story doesn't have much of a plot. Just a looong oneshot with LOTS of Batman whump! Enjoy.


_This is just a randomish JLA fic, as indicated by the title. Dick Grayson is Nightwing, simply because I like Nightwing way better than Robin. There is no Jason Todd and no Tim Drake, simply because I don't like them. Alfred is there, and I'm not writing the JLA women simply because they're too annoying to me to write at this moment. Hope you enjoy. If it doesn't make sense, get over it. That was kinda the point. It has no plot, really. Just some good ol' fashioned Batman whump! I wanted something that explored the psychological and physical pain the Dark Knight takes each time he puts on the cape and cowl, while also exploiting the pitfalls of having super powers._

_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing._

_RATING: M for Language and Violence  
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_EDIT: I added the breaks in here as FF removed the lines I had placed in the story when I uploaded it. Should be easier to read now, sorry about that.  
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><p>"You've got to be kidding me!" Batman looked up from the trench he had been thrown into as two more assailants approached him. Sure, he could handle himself against meta-humans, even multiple meta-humans at a time, but seven? You'd think someone was out to get him intentionally. He had already dispatched three of them, Star Sapphire, Tsukuri, and Cheetah, but it had taken quite a toll on his body. He had four cracked ribs, a bloody nose and lip, a dislocated shoulder, and a deep laceration on his calf.<p>

"You're a hard man to find." The Dark Knight chuckled to himself darkly. _Yup, definitely looking for me._ "You coulda just used the bat signal." He flipped backwards out of the trench he had been thrown into as he threw five smoke grenades simultaneously. He landed on his feet, standing firmly just long enough to retrieve a batarang before being blasted off his feet by a blast of kryptonite energy from Lex Luthor's super powered suit. His black-clad body flew into a concrete pillar which crumbled behind him. "Mmm…." Batman pushed himself up on all fours, clutching his side gingerly. "Aww, what's the matter Batman? Not so strong without the Boy Scout."

The Caped Crusader moved swiftly as he threw the batarang at the heart of Lex Luthor's suit, causing a violent explosion that sent his attacker flying backwards. "Strong enough." He only had a moment before Shade shot him with a blast of dark energy. "Please, Lex, pick yourself up. You're making us look ridiculous." He swung his cane at the Batman who blocked it with a kick, snapping the black stick in half. "You basta-" The Dark Knight silenced the pale villain with a swift upper cut, knocking him out effectively.

"Thanksss for knocking Sshade out. He'ss very annoying." Copperhead slithered up behind Batman before sinking his fangs into his shoulder. He reached up instantly and grabbed the snake-man's head, slamming him down on the ground immediately after. "Uhhn…." He could already feel the venom coursing through his veins as he fell to his knees.

Just as he thought his predicament couldn't get any worse, he felt the ground beneath him begin to shake. That could only mean one thing. "…Grundy." Batman's cloudy vision fought to focus on Grundy's pale hand closed around his face. He feebly tried to pull the gargantuan man's hands from his visage. Solomon simply laughed as he landed a large fist into Batman's stomach repeatedly before throwing him into the ground.

Batman's bloody hand slid up the 'crater' he was lying in as he attempted to crawl out of the hole his body had created from the force he had been thrown into it with.

"Ah, ah, ah, Batsy! Not yet!" The Joker stood bent at the waist with his hands on his hip. Batman fought to focus his vision on the Clowned Prince of Crime, just as a purple loafer connected with his chin, sending him flying backwards into unconsciousness.

The Joker turned around and watched as each of the meta-humans picked themselves up off the ground. "Really? One human dressed as a winged rat managed to take out SIX of you!" He watched as Luthor picked himself up, struggling in his damaged suit. "And where exactly were you, Joker, as we were getting taken out by this human dressed as a winged rat?"

The Joker motioned for Grundy to pick up the unconscious and battered Batman and restrain him in case he woke. "I was making sure all the cameras were pointed at the show! Can't have the Justice League miss out on their favorite Caped Crusader getting the crap beaten out of him! HeheheheheheHA!"

* * *

><p>J'onn J'onzz turned off the projector silently as the recording of Batman's brutal beating ended. The team had been on the Green Lantern's home planet trying to resolve a dire issue with the Green Lantern Corps. Batman and the Flash had stayed behind to protect the planet. The Flash was thwarting an armed robbery situation with the Royal Flush Gang, which was now obvious to be a distraction, leaving Batman by himself to fight the seven meta-humans. No one ever pitied Batman for not having powers and no one ever doubted his ability to defend himself, but none of them, not even Superman, would have made it out of that fight free. In fact, they were impressed that he made it that far before finally being incapacitated. He was tougher than they thought; if that were even possible.<p>

"It's clear that this is more than just a vendetta against Batman. This is attack against the Justice League." Superman's voice was hard and cold. He and Batman had the longest history together out of anyone. Bruce was his best friend and the only one out of the Justice League they had trusted their identities with. Of course, they hadn't revealed their identities willingly, but it hadn't backfired. Yet. "They aren't getting away with this." He clenched his fists around the back of his chair, crushing it inadvertently.

Flash sat in his chair uncharacteristically silent. He felt extreme guilt over what had happened. It was his job to not only defend the planet, but also his teammates. "I will do whatever it takes." His voice was almost lifeless as he spoke, his eyes never meeting those of his teammates.

The Green Lantern rested his hand on Flash's shoulder as to silently comfort him. "What's our first move, Superman?" In a very rare moment of pure rage, the other Justice League members in the room saw the pure desire to kill in Superman's eyes. As far as they knew, Batman was dead, and that was not acceptable.

* * *

><p>"Mother fucker…." Batman groaned painfully as he returned to the conscious world. His arms were cuffed in front of him in full metal restraints made of lead, which matched the lead lined walls he was contained in. <em>Guess they're still scared of Superman… <em>He sat up slowly, nearly losing consciousness due to the broken ribs jabbing into his side. He could feel the dried blood on his face as he continued to take inventory of his body. His left shoulder was cleanly dislocated and his right knee was sprained. _Yep, this'll be fun to get out of._ He forced himself to sit straight up on the simple bench in his cell as he waited for someone to join him. He was surprised he wasn't unmasked. Sure, his suit was torn in various places, but his mask was still intact and protecting his identity.

"Y'know, Batsy, I know you better than anyone and even _I'm _impressed by the show you put on out there!" The Joker skipped out in front of the cell, straight in the Batman's line of sight. "I want to talk to the one who thought this plan up, not the clown who got in his kicks once I was already down and out." Batman's body seized up in great pain as the Joker pressed the joy buzzer in his palm, sending an electric shock through the Dark Knight's restraints. "Y'know, sometimes I like you better when you're quiet." The Joker's voice was but a growl as he watched his greatest foe writhe on the ground.

Batman heaved a deep, shuddering sigh as the Joker released the joy buzzer and gave him a reprieve. "Joker, leave him be. The venom is already well on its way through his body. He'll be dead before the Justice League can get here, even with the Flash." Luthor walked down the solemn hallway in his military cargo pants and white shirt just as Batman pulled himself back up onto the bench he had been sitting on before. "How does it feel, Batman, to be the weakest member of the Justice League?" Lex entered the cell containing their captive and pressed his foot into his stomach, shifting his broken ribs painfully. Batman gritted his teeth and growled, refusing to crumble under the extreme pain.

"Are you sure they got it?" Shade limped into the cell, looking between Joker and Lex. "The fucker broke my night stick." He punched Batman across the jaw, shaking his hand in pain as the hero's blood was smeared across it. "Why don't we jussst ssee who he really isss?" Venom leaned against the wall behind them, completely unprepared for the Joker's swift punch to the sternum. "NO! Batman is MINE. We WILL NOT remove his mask until the perfect moment! Hehehehehe…"

Batman forced himself upright yet again and propped himself up on his bench. His breathing was extremely labored and he was beginning to feel his vision fade away. _Great… just great… _He looked up angrily at the Joker who had moved closer to him. "Don't look so happy to see me, Batsy! Why, we haven't even started having our fun yet!" He danced around joyously as Batman grabbed his side in pain. He wasn't going to remain conscious for much longer, and the Joker knew it.

"Stop acting like you're the Riddler. Tell me what the hell it is you want before I stop paying attention." The Joker feigned hurt before punching the Batman in the gut. The hero's face went blank as he blacked out briefly, struggling to remain conscious. "Listen closely, Batman. I want nothing short of the entire Justice League in their own mausoleum, and what better way to do it than by using their weakest," He grabbed Batman by the jaw and squeezed harshly, "and most pathetic super hero? I mean, outside of your little gadgets, you really are rather useless. No super powers… I mean, I could kill you with one simple bullet." He pulled out a .9mm and held it to the Batman's chest to prove his point. "I mean, your little Kevlar might keep you safe, but not at this close of range." He pulled the trigger and let his smile widen as the bullet tore through his left shoulder. "Whoops! I thought that was the gun that shot the 'BANG' flag… hmm…" He looked curiously at his gun before turning his attention back to his bleeding adversary.

Batman slumped over, breathing heavily as he began to lose even more blood. "So… basically, what you're… telling me is that… you're trying to use me for a type of… ransom? Hahahaha…." He chuckled darkly as he rested his head on the wall behind him. His breaths were short and his vision was very dark. "Maybe you should have gone… after the Flash. People like him a lot… better than me…"

The Joker turned on his heel, letting his harlequin grin droop in displeasure before cackling madly. "Oh but Batsy! You complete me!" He skipped out as Lex landed a final punch to the Dark Knight's visage, sending him reeling into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>"I should have been there!" The Flash drove his fist into the wall of his own personal quarters aboard the watchtower. "I wasn't fast enough! I-" <em>Please report to the conference room now. We have just received a disc that the Gotham Police Department found after a successful raid. The Commissioner insisted we view it. <em>Flash was in the conference room before J'onn had even finished speaking to him telepathically. Superman and GL joined them shortly after, neither wanting to see what was on the disc, although they already had a notion of what it might be.

"Commissioner James Gordon informed me that it was graphic. He requested we find Batman as quickly as possible." He fell silent as he played the disc. It surveyed the fallen hero's broken body, highlighting the new bullet wound in his shoulder that accompanied the dislocated left shoulder and sprained right knee. They could see his bruised skin through the holes in the abdomen of his costume which confirmed the suspicion of broken ribs.

Superman cringed when he saw the small pool of blood his friend was laying in.

"_HehehehehehehHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! Oh, poor little Batsy! He gots a boo boo! Why don't you come kiss it for him Supes?" _

The Joker danced into frame with his signature smile. _"I mean, our gang is all here! Lex, Copperhead, Grundy, Shade… You guys can get an invite, too! GL, Flash, and that green boogery guy, you're all welcome to come party with us! Oh, tis a shame that you don't have your master detective to find us though… hmm… it does put you at a disadvantage… oh well! It does make things more interesting!"_

He lifted Batman's head up by his cowl before cuffing him to the wall in a forced upright position. _"Now, Batsy here is used to enduring pain. I mean, after all, he _is _just a human, unlike you guys. He feels pain every time we hit him. But YOU Supey! Psh, you don't feel pain unless you get hit with a green rock! Green Meenie is the last Martian and has just as many powers as Supes! Spotlight Man is just a weenie with a shiny ring, but he can still deflect any punch with his little light show. And Flasher is the biggest pansy I've ever seen. I mean, a guy who can run away faster than anyone else? I've never seen Batsy run from something." _He danced around again before tapping Batman on the top of his cowl. _"But this guy… this guy here is like a breathing bag of broken bones! Every hit he feels! He's the real man! So, here's what I want! You come fight my guys. Mano-a-mano. No super powers, either. If I even see a flash of green or a burn of red another .9mm round will pierce the skull of everyone's favorite flying rodent. I want to see just how good of a super hero you guys really are." _He tapped Batsy on the chest happily. _"I'll be in touch. Ta-ta!" _

Everyone's eyes drew to Superman as they heard a sudden crunching sound. Another poor, defenseless, titanium chair had fallen victim to his anger. "He can't be serious, can he?" Flash's eyes didn't leave the tangled mess that used to be a chair as he asked the pointless question. "I think that was one of the few times the Joker was serious. The only problem is that we can't fight without our powers. I mean, Flash can try not to use his super speed, I can ditch the ring, but J'onn and Superman can't get rid of their invulnerability and superhuman strength. If they want someone to fight them like Batman, I'm the best candidate. I can ditch the ring and be just like everyone else." J'onn stood silently as Superman seemed to think this over. "John, I can't let you go and fight them by yourself. Batman couldn't take them on without super powers alone, and he's used to fighting without them. We'll have to find another way around this. This is the Joker we're talking about, after all.

"He always has at least two parts to his plan. Even when he tried to take me down, he made sure not to keep it simple. It was… annoying, but effective. Batman knows him better than anyone else. Unfortunately, he's the only one who could know if the Joker actually wants us to fight like Batman, or if he even wants anything." Superman stared out the large glass window into deep space. He did not have the control over his emotions like Bruce did. The Joker was able to get under his skin much easier than most. Clark wasn't used to dealing with annoyingly insane killers like the Joker. It was outside his… comfort zone; especially when he couldn't use his full powers on him without killing the son of a bitch. It was a lose-lose situation.

"So… then we wait?" Flash was obviously confused by their lack of movement. It wasn't like them to be so passive. "We're seriously going to wait while Batman just stays there withering away? How do we know he's not dead already! I mean-" J'onn put his hand up dismissively. "Flash, Calm down. Batman can handle himself just fine. We must trust him to take care of himself."

* * *

><p>"<em>Bruce…. Bruce, honey, you have to wake up." Martha Wayne shook her son gently as he continued to dive deeper into his covers. He did not want to get out of his plush bed. "Don't make me get your father in here!" Her tone was light as she began tickling her son, who was doing his best not to laugh. "Thomas, I think Bruce here needs some help waking up!" She giggled as she stepped back to allow her husband, who had his bronze trumpet in his hands, entered his son's room playing the Star Spangled Banner as loudly as he could. At the same time, Martha pulled back Bruce's covers to reveal her son curled up in a ball giggling madly. "Silly boy!" She fell onto the bed with him and pulled him lovingly into her arms as his dad knelt beside his bed, setting the trumpet on the floor. "C'mon Bruce, it's time to get up…"<em>

Batman lifted his heavy eyes slowly as the present rushed back to him along with the gripping pain of his injuries. He noticed the stiffness in his arms first, moving them slowly to test his restraints. _Lead. Smart. _He looked down to see his feet were in similar shackles. The next thing he noticed was the numbing pain that seemed to consume his entire body. "Fuck…" His voice was a growl as he recoiled from the shock waves going through his shoulder. He had forgotten the Joker had shot him, too. The bastard.

He took a deep breath before twisting his arm inside his gauntlet. Of course, whoever had chained him up had been smart enough to do it where his gauntlet ended, otherwise he could have just slid out. It didn't matter, they hadn't confiscated _all _of his lock picks. In less than thirty seconds, he was free. Unfortunately, that also meant that there was no longer anything holding him up. He braced himself carefully as he crumpled to the floor, willing the pain in his body to subside. He had to get out.

Batman knew that no transceiver signal would make it through these walls. They had designed it for that. He just needed to get out long enough to get the signal sent…. "Get up…" He continued to growl at himself as he got up weakly only to wobble into the wall for support. Slowly, the injured vigilante was able to make his way over to the cell door. It was a simple metal door. Apparently, they hadn't expected him to pick the locks on his shackles. Either way, he was limping through the hallway in no time. He had made it a good distance before he ran into Shade, who had fastened himself a new night stick. _Good, I can use that. _Silently, Batman snuck up behind the villain and put him in a chokehold long enough to quietly render him unconscious.

Armed with a weapon, Batman moved faster through the halls, pausing when he heard voices. He could feel his body withering away from the injuries and knew he couldn't afford to do any extra fighting.

Many long minutes later, Batman found himself staring at his way out. "Finally…" He had been using the night stick as more of a cane than a weapon for the better half of his journey. He was ready to be out of there.

Batman made it up to the security console and began typing fervently. There was no way to open the door without setting the alarm off without actually having one of the Injustice League there to do it for him, so, with one deep breath, he opened the door and darted outside.

"IT'S THE BATMAN! GET HIM!" He could hear the heavy footsteps of the armies as they dispersed through the base and to the exit to follow the Caped Crusader. He was surprised to see that the base was in a heavily forested area, which meant more hiding space for him. He felt a bullet whizz past his cowl, indicating he needed to move faster.

He found a hollowed out tree trunk and quickly ducked inside, having no intention of out running these men. He sank to the ground as he felt Copperhead's venom move through his veins. He was running out of time. Carefully, he removed his blood soaked gauntlet. He could only hope that the communication device was still in one piece.

Batman's vision began to swim as he tapped his fingers against his cowl in order to activate the tracking device. _"Batman! Is that you!"_ He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath until he heard Flash's voice. "….Yes… I need some back up." He coughed violently as he felt a wave of nausea surge through him.

* * *

><p>"SUPES! IT'S BATS! HE'S ALIVE!" Flash yelled at the top of his lungs, which made his already obnoxious tone impossibly annoying. Superman didn't hesitate as he flew as fast as he could to Flash's side. "What! Is that his tracking signal?" The speedy superhuman nodded as he brought up the coordinates on the map. "Yep. He asked for-" He nearly fell over as Superman disappeared with a burst of speed he had never seen before. "-back up…" He shrugged as Green Lantern surrounded himself and Flash with a force field from his ring before descending into space and following the Man of Steel. "J'onn, get the infirmary ready. We're going to need it."<p>

Green Lantern was fast, but no one could keep up with Superman when it came to flying. Add on the fact that the Man of Steel was driven by the dwindling chances of his friend surviving, and there was no catching him. He landed in the forest a mere ten seconds later, creating a crater in the Earth below his feet. "J'onn, how close am I to Batman's location?" He used his x-ray vision to scan the forest for the Dark Knight's location.

- _"Superman, head northeast for 200 feet. He is in the dense forest right outside the large base."_

Superman was on the move before J'onn had finished directing him. He saw a large explosion a few yards from him, soaring toward where it had come from. He found three guards disarmed, unconscious, and tied up in some sort of black cloth. Batman's cape. Superman could only smile to himself at his friend's resolve. There was no quit in him.

He spotted Shade and Copperhead, two of the notorious members of the Injustice League. Figuring this was his best lead, he sped over to the two of them. He struck Shade on the back of his head, rendering him unconscious, before grabbing Copperhead by the collar and slamming him against the tree. "Where is Batman!" His voice was at a dangerous growl, sounding almost like the Dark Knight himself.

Copperhead laughed to himself under Superman's painful grasp. "C'mon Supes? You mean you don't know where your pet bat is at all times?" His sneering was cut short when Superman struck him across the face, drawing blood from his now broken nose. "I said, WHERE IS BATMAN!"

"Oh Suuuuuuupes!" Superman dropped Copperhead before slowly turning around to a sight that made his blood run cold. Green Lantern and Flash appeared right behind Superman, not daring to move when they realized what was going on.

Batman was on his knees, the Joker standing behind him with a gun held to his head. "Make one move, and your precious Bat dies. And yes, Flashy, I can pull this trigger before you can get to me. Same with you Supes." Batman breathed heavily as he felt the blood pouring from his open wounds. How could a group of three fully trained _super_heroes botch a rescue mission this badly? Of course, they couldn't keep their heads straight when a team member was involved, hence his lack of emotions when it came to his team.

"Now, seeing how Bat-Brain is here with us," The psychotic clown dug the barrel of the gun into the open wound in Batman's shoulder which pulled a growl from his lips, "and you three have _already _failed in fighting like a powerless phony, I believe everyone's favorite pointy eared bastard is due for some punishment." He smiled his toothy grin before breaking out into dismal laughter.

Superman clenched his fists tightly as he fought against every desire in his being to kill the pale skinned villain in front of him. "What do you want from us, Joker!" The Joker only shrugged. "Dying would be nice." Without warning, a large green blast of Kryptonite energy connected with Superman's chest, sending him flying backwards into the mess of trees behind him. "Lex, always with the most impeccable timing." Joker smiled as Superman's greatest foe ran after the fallen boy scout to continue his barrage.

"Superman!" Flash moved to Superman's side, only to be impeded by the outstretched arm of Gorilla Grodd which sent him flying into a large Sequoia tree. "Damnit, Flash..." GL placed a shield around the speedster before throwing a powerful punch towards the large animal.

Batman moved while the Joker was distracted, kicking his leg out towards the Clown Prince of Crime. "Lantern! Get yourself and the others out of here! NOW!" He turned to dodge Copperhead on shaky feet, doing his best to keep his composure. Before he could deliver a swift kick to his snaky adversary, he felt a bullet rip through the flesh on his thigh. He fell to the ground, cursing under his breath at his further injuries. Before Shade enveloped both him and the Joker, Batman was able to throw three explosive batarangs at one of the large trees, sending it falling on top of Lex Luthor. Gorilla Grodd quickly scooped up the billionaire before bounding away, leaving Copperhead to attempt to slither away.

Before he could, Flash moved to intercept him, striking him and rendering him unconscious. "They got Bats!" He breathed heavily as he held his shoulder gingerly. "But I got him." He nodded towards the fallen Copperhead before looking back over at Superman who merely brushed himself off before grabbing the snake by the collar and wrenching him off the ground. "Let's get him back to the Watchtower." Anger was etched across his features as he glared at the now empty area that once held Batman. Without a second thought, he used his heat vision to ignite the area and set the empty base ablaze.

* * *

><p>"Pointy eared bastard!" Lex Luthor brought his armor covered fist across the Dark Knight's jaw, sending him sprawling to the floor. "Y'know, you coulda just bled out nice and quietly and no one would have cared. But <em>noooooooooooo<em> you just _had_ to go and call your FRIENDS!" Lex kicked Batman in the ribs to emphasize his anger, who just rolled to the ground and didn't bother fighting back. The vigilante was bloodied, broken, and bound. There was no point wasting his energy in a feeble effort to protect himself. "You're not the only one who was disappointed with the outcome..." His voice was gruff as he forced himself back to his knees, watching the villains pace around the room in confusion, all save one of them: the Joker.

The psychotic clown continued to grin in pure joy, his eyes locked on his greatest foe. "Boys, boys, boys! Relax! Everything has gone according to plan! The Justice League is hopelessly lost and we have their most vulnerable member to torment until they relent. Copperhead doesn't know anything, anyways. He'll just drive the Boy Scout crazy... hehehehehehe..." He looked back down at the Batman and his grin only grew. "So... boys... go crazy! The rest of the Justice League will be too busy _trying _to clean up Gotham, so you'll have plenty of time wreaking havoc in your own cities. I'll contact you when we're ready for phase two."

Slade looked at the Joker curiously. "And what, pray tell, do you intend to do, Joker?" He tapped his cane in his hand impatiently as he awaited an answer. "Me? Well, I intend to sit here and spend some quality time with my best friend Batsy!" He patted the Batman on the head patronizingly which earned no response from him.

Gorilla Grodd stepped forward slowly, giving the Joker a cautious look. "Just don't kill our only bargaining chip." With that, the three remaining villains left the Joker in his circus tent hide-out alone with the Dark Knight.

The Joker's innocent giggle broke out into one of pure evil and hatred as the remaining villains disappeared. "Me? Kill Batman!" He looked at the man in question with mock hurt on his face. "Whatever would give them that idea!" Without another word, he slashed out at Batman with a sharp blade, only to have his wrist caught in mid-air by the Caped Crusader's freed hand. A sickening pop echoed through the tent, followed by a shout of pain from the Joker as the blade fell uselessly to the ground. "You bastard!" Before Batman could react again, the Joker brought his knee into the side of the vigilante's head, sending him reeling. "I told them to search your damn gauntlets..." He picked up his knife in his right hand before stabbing it through Batman's right hand, effectively pinning it to the ground.

He couldn't help but let a shout of pain escape past his lips as the Joker roughly searched through his gauntlets, pulling at the blade which was still lodged between the bones and tendons in his hand. "What's wrong, Joker? I thought you liked it rough..." Carefully, Batman used his teeth to pull the knife from his hand at an excruciatingly slow pace. It almost hurt more taking the knife out than it did when the Joker had stabbed him.

"Well, Batsy, this is _my _show, and no one likes an attention whore constantly trying to grab the spotlight." The clown whimpered as he moved his wrist, trying his best to relocate the bone into the socket. He leaned on the pale white appendage with all his weight, effectively popping his wrist back into place with an equally sickening pop and resounding scream. He retrieved his knife before Batman could make use of it, slashing the Dark Knight across the face near his jaw line. "Now, be a good little Bat or I'll have to clip your other wing." He smiled proudly as he watched the blood drip from Batman's hand and pool below it. It was such a satisfying sight. The vigilante refused to give the Joker any satisfaction by showing him any further pain, choosing to ignore the new wound on his face.

"See, this is why I chose you Bats. You've got spunk. I mean, you don't give up no matter how many times I slice and dice ya. The rest of the pansies on your team are usually crying after one hit. They're not used to coming close to death." He pushed his heel on the open wound in Batman's hand, causing black spots to dance in front of the vigilante's eyes. "You live everyday with one foot in the grave."

The Joker paced around Batman like a hungry shark, calculating where to draw blood next. He brought the knife near Batman's spine, whispering into where he knew the vigilante's ear to be under the thick cowl. "How would you like to lose the use of that one leg? Leave it in the grave permanently?" Batman kept his face blank as he quickly whipped his head back and smacked the Joker in the nose, not quite breaking it, but causing enough pain that the Joker recoiled. "I'll pass." Batman didn't move, merely content with warding the clown off. "Y'know… it would just be way more fun to kill you. Hell, you never move or talk anyways. The League would never know." He stabbed Batman in the side, wedging the knife perfectly between the plates in his armor. The Joker slowly pushed the short blade until it was completely lodged in the Batman's side so that it couldn't be seen. If anyone tried to pry it out with their fingers, they'd cause a whole hell of a lot more damage and pain.

He couldn't help but let his smile grow as he watched the pain grow on the Batman's face with each and every breath and movement. "I'm sorry, does it hurt?" The Joker gave him a cartoonish puppy dog face before retreating in laughter. This was too much fun.

* * *

><p>"I think Bats was working out. He was a little tougher to bite into this time." Copperhead's tongue slithered out between his teeth dangerously as he gave Superman an equally heated stare. It had taken every fiber of the Boy Scout's being not to snap the snake in half like he wanted to so badly. Flash had gotten the most out of Copperhead, which wasn't much at all. Just that he had bitten the Bat with a new kind of venom that he wasn't quite sure had an antidote. This had only served to cause Superman to punch a hole through the table three centimeters away from Copperhead had laid his hand.<p>

J'onn stood on the other side of the glass calmly as he watched Flash and Green Lantern retreat from the interview room angrily. "He doesn't know anything. I don't even think he knows he's in outer space right now. Guy's a moron." The green alien nodded in silent agreement before collapsing to the ground in sudden pain. "It's… Batman…." He gritted his teeth as he felt a piercing pain in his side and his breathing became painful. "AUGHHH!" J'onn gripped his head tightly as the pain began to pulsate through his body. He suddenly understood what the Joker was talking about. The pain he was feeling was not just from this recent torment, but from the past few months of battling the world's foes. He had a fracture in his ankle that he had hidden quite well from Gorilla Grodd throwing him into a wall. His right shoulder had been dislocated so many times there was barely any tissue holding it in place. He had so many injuries J'onn couldn't believe Batman was still functioning.

Green Lantern was quick to scoop the Martian Manhunter up into an emerald stretcher as Flash sped off to the infirmary, leaving Superman behind to secure Copperhead. "J'onn… J'onn! Can you hear me?" GL moved J'onn to the infirmary bed as Flash moved to hook up different wires to the Martian to monitor his vitals. Superman came into the room quickly and leaned down to listen to the Martian's feverish ramblings. His eyes fell as he stood somberly, looking out into the empty reaches of space, down towards a lonely blue planet.

J'onn slowly broke out of the trance and regained his bearings, sitting up slowly. "Superman… there is no guarantee that it was accurate…." He slowly made his way off the bed, though didn't dare move towards the silent super hero. "My powers are not an exact science." Flash looked between the two of the curiously and silently. "What the hell are you talking about!" GL placed his hand somberly on the crimson clad hero's shoulder. "Flash…" "No, don't give me that crap. I'm not a kid. What the hell am I missing!" Superman turned around; his eyes hard and burning. "Batman is dead."

* * *

><p>Lex Luthor stretched his legs on his lavish king sized bed in his pent house suite above one of the LexCorp owned apartment buildings. His torso was encased in a metal green chest plate that kept the kryptonite poisoning in his blood from killing him. He closed his eyes as his breathing evened out, his mind drifting towards thoughts of destroying Superman. The past few days of tracking down Batman and torturing him had been fun and all, but Batman was as much of a thorn in his side as Superman was. He couldn't wait to slit the Boy Scout's throat with a knife made of kryptonite. It was going to be incredible.<p>

His thoughts were interrupted by the incessant beeping from a small, untraceable communicator created by himself and Humanite. He had created several of them; enough for each member of the Injustice League. "What!" His voice was a growl as he waited for the guilty party to speak on the other end. "Lexy-poo! Were you sleeping?" The Joker giggled fitfully as he bounced around. "I need you to gather the boys and take a field trip over to Arkham! Set 'em loose." Lex groaned as he forced himself into a sitting position and ripped the covers away from his legs. "And why would we want to do that? Do you _want_ us to bring the Justice League sniffing around your freak show?" Joker's ever present smile widened impossibly at Lex's question. "If they do, all they'll find is a bat-eared corpse." His voice dropped several octaves as the menacing words dripped from his mouth. "No, what they'll find is a city in turmoil and a major distraction! Lex, I thought you wanted the complete and utter destruction of the Justice League? How better to achieve this than to keep them running around?"

He hated to admit it, but the Joker was right. If there was chaos in Gotham, the Justice League would be forced to respond. And without the help of the Batman, it would take them twice as long. Sure, they were a team of super heroes, but they were used to using powers that would kill the Gotham Super Villains. Lex smiled to himself as he realized the other part to Joker's ingenious plan. The Justice League also wasn't used to dealing with the same level of sadism and insanity. This was perfect. "It's as good as done, Joker. Keep the Bat entertained for us."

* * *

><p>"You're sure, Mr. Kent?" A shaking British voice came through the communication relay in the Watchtower clearly as Superman made a private call to Wayne Manor. "I'm afraid so, Alfred. J'onn was linked with Bruce somehow… he broadcasted his last few moments alive." With his super hearing, Clark was able to hear the slight quiver in the Butler's voice as he fought to hold back tears. He couldn't blame him. Alfred Pennyworth had raised Bruce from the time he was eight, when his parents were murdered. "I don't need to ask how he died, or who." Alfred's voice became dark with anger. "Just promise me you'll bring his body back."<p>

Clark sighed dejectedly. "Of course and please let me know what I can do." A few more pleasantries and Superman was done with his conversation. He requested that Flash, GL, and J'onn give him privacy. Even in death, Superman knew Batman would want his identity kept secret.

"When are we going after these sons of bitches?" Flash's usual light mood was dark with anger and vengeance. He was ready to run across the entire galaxy if it meant tracking down the Joker and permanently wiping that smile off his face. "Flash, we cannot kill the Joker or the Injustice League. I know how much you want to, but that would undo everything Batman has fought for." J'onn's words were hard to hear, but true and Flash knew it. "I just can't believe he's gone. I mean, I knew he was human and didn't have any powers… but it just always seemed like he was going to live as long as us."

GL lowered his head, nodding in agreement with him. As an ex-Marine, John Stewart was familiar with losing comrades, but this was different. None of them had been Batman. "Has anyone told Rob—err, Nightwing?"

"Told me what?" Dick Grayson, or Nightwing as everyone in the room (besides Clark) knew him, entered through the transporter that was connected to his secluded apartment in Blüdhaven. He wasn't a regular up in the Watchtower, much like his mentor, but had been spending more time up in space to have access to the best possible security footage to monitor his city. "What's up, Flash? GL?" Unlike his mentor, Nightwing was much friendlier. He had bonded with Flash and his goofy demeanor when he was nine – when he first donned the Robin costume.

When Flash didn't make any kind of 'birdie' comment, his detective skills went into overdrive. He observed the facial expressions of Flash, then Green Lantern, then J'onn, and finally Superman. "What happened to him?" He didn't have to ask why they were upset. There was only one person who could cause that look of anguish and frustration.

"I said what happened!" Nightwing's voice rose as he was forced to ask the silent heroes again. When silence overwhelmed him, his question was seemingly answered. Tears pricked his eyes as realization hit him. "No… no. NO!" He flung himself at Superman and punched the Kryptonian square across the jaw, cracking his knuckles. "You were supposed to protect him! He trusted YOU! OF ALL PEOPLE! YOU let him down!" The tears welled up behind his mask as the anger consumed him, but he refused to let them fall. "How could you let him die!"

"Nightwing, he was taken while we were on Oa. We were on the other side of the galaxy. There was nothing we could have done." John placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, feeling him shudder beneath his grip. "No? There was someone here. You _always _leave someone behind. WHO! WHO let him die!"

"It's my fault." Flash spoke up for the first time in a long time. Everyone froze as their eyes all fell on the Scarlet Speedster. "Flash… it's not you-" "No, GL, it is. I was the one left behind to help him. I wasn't there." Nightwing looked at him with pure hatred. "You fucking bastard. He was like my father and you just left him to die!" He pulled out two of his escrima sticks, fully ready for a fight. He wanted to pummel everyone's heads in, no matter how fruitless the endeavor. It wouldn't bring Bruce back.

"Robin." Superman's voice was loud as he spoke to the young man as if he was still the nine year old boy who had just lost his parents. Nightwing tensed up before looking at Superman dangerously. "Do _not _patronize me, Superman. You think Batman is the only one who carries around kryptonite?" He narrowed his eyes towards the unwavering alien. "Who did it? Who pulled the trigger?" Superman pursed his lips. "Fuck you, Supes. When you died, Bats and I searched high and low and did everything we could to bring you back. He dies and you hide up in _his_ Watchtower like some self-absorbed God and won't even tell me who killed him." He sheathed his escrima sticks before turning on his heel and marching back towards the transporter.

As he reached his means of transportation, he looked over his shoulder briefly. "Oh, and stay out of Gotham and Blüdhaven. I don't need you. Any of you." With that, he left, leaving the remaining members of the Justice League silent.

* * *

><p>Alfred sat at the large computer screen in the center of the Bat Cave, his head buried in his aged hands. He had outlived both of the Wayne men, much to his own dismay. He had hoped that he would pass after meeting Bruce's children, with Thomas, Martha, Bruce, and the future Mrs. Bruce Wayne at his death bed. Instead, he would pass keeping Wayne Manor in order to preserve the Wayne name. "Bruce… may you rest in peace my son." He felt the tears slide down his wrinkled cheeks as he let the sadness consume him in the empty home.<p>

"Alfred…" A distraught, deep voice echoed through the cave. The old butler's heart skipped a beat. "Master Bruce?" He turned around, feeling his heart sink when he saw an unmasked Nightwing descending the stairs, tear streaks lining his face. "No, Al… he's gone."

The butler stood, brushing out his suit and composing himself before walking towards Bruce's young ward. "Master Dick. I did not expect to see you here so… soon. I didn't even have a chance to ready the… Master be-" He was cut off by his own tears, which were smothered in the raven haired vigilante's muscular shoulder as he embraced the older man. "I miss him, too, Alfred." Dick felt his own tears begin to fall down his face again. "So much…"

Silently, the two men consoled each other in the center of Bruce's greatest legacy. Somehow, they would make it.

* * *

><p>A large explosion rocked the foundations of Arkham Asylum as sirens blared in the background, alerting anyone nearby of the ongoing escape. Of course, the screams and shouts of both dying guards and joyous inmates would alert you to the mayhem all the same. The Injustice League had been successful in their plan, releasing all of Arkham's inmates into the bowels of the city. "With Bats out of the way, we can all go and play!" The Riddler spun his cane before smashing it over the head of one of his psychiatrists, knocking them out.<p>

Countless inmates spilled out onto the streets as GCPD SWAT teams tried to get in position to prevent them from escaping the island. Unfortunately, it was quite hopeless. Without Batman there, no one stood a chance. He was the only one who could manage to get into the heart of the overrun facility and shut the Injustice League down at the heart of their operation. "Damn, Batman. Where the hell are you?" Police Commissioner James Gordon looked up into the sky desperately, hoping to see the vigilante soaring across the dark sky by use of one of his grapples. Instead, he saw a figure he hadn't seen in years. "Commissioner." Gordon smiled at the young man whose raven hair was pulled back into a long ponytail. "Robin… I'm sorry, it's Nightwing now, isn't it?" He shook hands with the man he once knew as the original Robin.

Nightwing nodded, shaking the Commissioner's hand with a firm grip. "Any word on Batman, son?" The young vigilante grimaced, though not noticeably enough that anyone other than the Commissioner would notice. "Uh… nothing affirmative as of yet." That was all Jim needed to hear. "Do we know who did it?" Nightwing's angry silence left Jim uncertain. "The JLA knows, but they don't currently feel it's in their best interest to disclose that information to me. I told them it's in their best interest to stay away from Gotham." Venom dripped from every word Nightwing spoke as he saw rivaling amounts of anger boil within the Commissioner, who could only nod in agreement that the Justice League was not welcome in Gotham as long as they would not reveal Batman's killer.

There were few people who could claim to care about Batman more than Nightwing did, and Commissioner Gordon was one of them. He had known Batman longer than even the original Robin had, and while he didn't know Batman's true identity, he cared for him all the same. "Son, we will find the bastard who did it. And he will pay." Nightwing saw his own determination in the slate blue eyes of the Commissioner. Something told Nightwing that Gordon didn't plan on giving Batman's killer any jail time, which was fine with the former Boy Wonder.

"I heard you might need some help with this mayhem. I'm going to the root of the problem in the facility. Take your men and neutralize the lower level threats that are infiltrating the streets. Leave the big guys to me." Without another word, Nightwing took off on his own grapple, propelling towards the heart of the asylum.

* * *

><p>The four remaining members of the Justice League sat gathered in the large conference room. Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman were still in another galaxy, helping out on Thanagar in a war relief effort. Due to a meteor shower in the area, all communication was down; thus, the women could not be notified of their fallen comrade.<p>

Batman's chair remained precariously empty as everyone's eyes seemed fixated on it; as If staring hard enough would bring the Dark Knight back. Alas, it didn't seem to be working.

"He's right, you know." Flash's quiet, quivering voice broke the silence. No one had spoken for hours; since Nightwing had stormed out. "Batman did trust us, and we blew it. Don't we at least owe it to the kid to tell him who killed his mentor? We fai-" His voice faded as his eyes dashed across the anger in Superman's own. The silence consumed them again as everyone grieved internally.

In the background, a persistent alarm began to sound from the large computer monitor in the control room. J'onn rose silently and flew up to the screen, his head lowering as he saw where the signal was coming from. "It's Gotham." Each of the super human men looked at the other, unsure what to do. If it was Batman who had delivered the warning to stay out of Gotham, there'd be no doubt. They wouldn't dare show. But Nightwing? If the signal was going off, there was no guarantee the young vigilante could handle himself.

J'onn called up the details of the report, his heart sinking further. "They're emptying Arkham, Superman. He can't do it alone." The boy scout kept his eyes to the ground, indecision oozing from him. Was he really willing to dishonor Batman's protégé, who would surely don the cape and cowl, rather than let the legend of the Batman die?

"I will go. Alone. If he doesn't like it, then he can kick me out himself." Superman marched off towards the transporter, entering the code for the Bat Cave; a code only three living men knew. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Flash lowered his eyes shamefully. "Who knew losing Scrooge would be what tore us apart…" He chucked one sad, empty chuckle before shuffling towards his resting quarters. This was all his fault.

* * *

><p><em>"Mom? Dad? Is it really you?" Bruce pulled his blood soaked cowl back, looking at the pristine figures of his parents. They looked as he pictured they would if they had still been alive; each with a touch of grey, his dad more than his mom, small wrinkles around the eyes and corners of their mouths. "Bruce, honey. What are you doing here?" Martha Wayne looked at her son with great concern as she held onto her husband's hand.<em>

_ Bruce looked at them confused, not understanding their question. "Where is here? Last thing I remember, the Joker was…" He placed his hand on his side, feeling the large gouge in his side, but no longer feeling any pain. In fact, he couldn't physically feel anything. _

_ Thomas Wayne stepped forward, placing his hand on his son's shoulder. "You're in a place between life and death, son. The Joker stabbed you in the side and you lost the will to live." The elder Wayne fixed a hard stare on his son. "Wayne men do not give up, Bruce."_

_ Bruce looked up at his father, shock in his eyes. "Dad… I-" "No, Bruce, he's right." Martha took a step towards the two men in her family. "You can't give up. You can't allow that clown to win. Dick, Alfred, Clark… they all need you. And as much as your father and I want you here, we don't need you. Not like they need you." She rubbed the tears away from her son's cheek, smiling at him proudly. "Not yet, son. We are proud of you. Don't give up on Gotham." _

_ Suddenly, the vigilante collapsed to the ground, convulsing on the ground. "Wh…what's happening?" Martha and Thomas Wayne began to fade from Bruce's vision. "He's bringing you back, honey. Be strong. Be brave." Tears fell down his eyes freely as Batman feebly reached out for his fading parents, the pain returning to his body. "No… Mom… Dad! Please, don't leave me…" He watched as his two parents slipped away from him again, leaving him hurting, alone, in the darkness yet again._

_ Another shock racked his body as he began to convulse again, the pain radiating through him more and more with every second. As he could feel reality coming back to him, Bruce heard his parent's words echoing in his ear. "Don't let him win."_

Weary eyes fluttered open as an electric shock coursed through an inanimate corpse. Ragged breaths were pulled from a beaten man as he lied unmoving, his heart barely beating. A pale hand pressed against the bloodied chest of the unmoving body a second time, letting a sharp volt of electricity course through its fallen foe.

"Wakey wakey, Batsy!" Joker pranced around the Caped Crusader who groaned back to life. _How long was I…_He stopped, not wanting to go there. Instead, he fought to focus on the clown face bent down before him, slapping his cheek rather roughly. "You're back! You had me worried for a moment there, Batsy! I thought I lost my pet Bat!" He laughed furiously as he skipped away from the newly resuscitated vigilante.

The pain returned to his body as he remembered each and every moment of pain from the last week. Moving his arms carefully, he tested the rope bonds that were still secured behind his back. His predicament was still as hopeless as before and he had a feeling it would only get worse.

Slowly and carefully, he forced himself to sit upright, feeling himself become quickly light headed. "You went too far Joker… didn't expect me to crumble so easily." His words were quiet, but forceful as the Joker tensed slightly. "I forgot about the venom. Oh well." He shrugged haphazardly, flattening his hands out palms up. "All that matters is that we're together again, Batsy." Joker clasped his hands together under his chin in a faux romantic manner.

Deciding to go with a different approach, the Joker brought in a tattered purple recliner with a bowl of popcorn before rolling in a TV stand with a medium sized CRT television which was playing GCNN – Gotham City News Network. On the faded screen was the live coverage of what was going on at Arkham. Batman cringed as he saw the cops exchanging fire with the escaped hoodlums from the security impound attached to the Asylum. He watched as a bullet barely missed Commissioner Gordon as he ran to a fallen officer's side, pulling him behind cover.

That's when he saw him. Dick. Robin. "Nightwing." His voice was a growl as he watched the young vigilante fight with vigor and pain in his eyes. Batman pursed his lips, not taking his eyes from the screen. Outwardly, he wouldn't dare let an ounce of emotion show. Inwardly, he was cursing the Clown Prince of Crime. _If he dies, Joker, I will end you. _He watched as Nightwing took down both Poison Ivy and Two-Face with the help of his escrima sticks, before being ensnared by Killer Croc's death grip. The crazy crocodile's claws dug into the former Robin's back and side, drawing blood.

Just as Croc was about to pull the flesh from Nightwing's bones, a red and blue blur separated the two from each other. Batman's heart hitched as he waited to see if Nightwing could get up. _Get up, Dick. Now._ Batman watched as his protégé forced himself onto his feet again, however shakily it may have been. It didn't matter; he was up.

"Boo! Cheaters!" Joker threw popcorn at the screen in anger as Nightwing got back to his feet. He watched as Superman continued to pummel both Killer Croc and Bane into submission before scooping the heavily bleeding Nightwing into his arms and taking off.

While to the untrained eye it may have appeared that Nightwing was being flown away helplessly, Batman could see the subtle twitches in his protégé's muscles that indicated he was trying to get away from Superman to continue the fight. While pride welled up in Batman's chest, he couldn't help but feel thankful that Clark was taking Dick away.

He felt anger rise inside of him as he realized the perfection in the Joker's plan. The Justice League wouldn't realize that this was just a distraction, and Dick was too consumed with anger to use the skills he had been taught to recognize a pointless distraction. "What's the real plan Joker? You know they're going to get curious." Batman's voice was gruff and low, etched with pain.

The Joker threw his adversary a dangerous look. "See, Bats. This is why I _really_ took you. You're the only one who understands me!" He gave him a look of fake desperation before continuing. "Without you, the Justice League is lost when it comes to Gotham. And with you possibly dead, little Nightwing – I liked him better when he was the Boy Blunder, by the way – couldn't even catch a cold from Mr. Freeze. It's the perfect plan for me to just wreak havoc and destruction!"

Batman gave him a solemn, unchanging look. "Lex won't be happy when he finds out you lied." Joker laughed in the Dark Knight's face, clearly unperturbed by the thought. "Why, Batsy, whatever do you mean?" He laughed innocently. "Besides, even if I _were _lying to him, he's too consumed with destroying ol' Supey to notice I'm pullin' a fast one on him." He pranced around Batman joyously. "I want nothing short of the utter destruction of Gotham. Once she has fallen, each major 'super' city will fall soon after, with me calling the shots. Money, fame… none of it will even be an issue. I will be King of the world! And with you out of the way, the only one who can decipher my twisted mind, I'm unstoppable."

Joker was right, and Batman knew it. No one in the Justice League, not even Nightwing, knew the Joker well enough to figure out his true intentions, which brought him to his next question. "Then why not kill me, Joker. There's no guarantee I won't escape or that the Justice League won't come in here looking for me." In all honesty, Bruce would rather be dead than be used as a bargaining chip. He was not a helpless human.

"See, Shade, Lex, Grodd, Grundy… hell, the whole Injustice League brought up that idea. Only problem is that the second I kill you, all deals are off with the Justice League. Sure, right now they probably think you're dead and _want _to kill me, but until they have absolute confirmation, Supes won't just come barreling in here. You're collateral damage they aren't willing to risk." His smile grew as Batman's head fell. The bastard was right, and knowing how close he had been to death, J'onn probably sensed his passing.

Everything suddenly fell into place. "You opened whatever it is that you're using to block out the Martian Manhunter right before my heart stopped beating. You wanted them to think I was dead." His voice remained calm, but he could feel his blood pressure rising with his rage. That explained Dick's presence in Gotham, and the anger and fear he saw in his protégé's eyes. "You're trying to push him to break his rules. You want Superman to kill you."

Joker looked at Batman as he bounced up and down gleefully. "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! You FINALLY figured it out, Batsy. Of course, I'd rather _not _die, but if it was because of Superman's direct actions… I'd be causing more destruction in that one moment than I could in my entire life! If _you _won't break the rules, then I'll find someone who will." He patted the wounded vigilante on the head trivially before bouncing off.

Batman gritted his teeth angrily as he felt his blood begin to boil. The Joker truly was insane. The worst thing of all, his plan was perfect. Without Batman there to intervene, Superman would surely go too far.

* * *

><p>"I told you to stay out of Gotham, Clark." Dick held his sides tightly as he tried to staunch the blood flow. Superman had been smart enough not to piss Nightwing off and take him back to the Watchtower, instead bringing him to the Bat Cave where Alfred could stitch the angry young man's wounds without as much of a struggle. "You had no right. I don't need you to keep Arkham under control. Never have, never will." His eyes narrowed as he focused on the man of steel with hatred in his eyes, not acknowledging the excruciating pain in his side and back as Alfred continued to stitch him up.<p>

"Master Dick, please try to sit still and keep your blood pressure down. I cannot stitch you up if you keep thrashing about and your blood keeps pouring." His British accent cut through the tension like a knife, if only momentarily, giving the butler enough time to finish stitching Dick's wounds. He stepped back, knowing better than to get in between Dick and Clark when they were fighting.

Clark simply folded his arms across his chest, giving Dick enough space to struggle off the medical bed and get back in his face. Instead, the former boy wonder crossed his arms in return as he stared the Kryptonian down. "If you're trying to protect Gotham's vigilante, you're a little late. You let Bruce die. There's no making up for that." His words echoed through the cave as Clark flinched slightly at Dick's words.

"I know I can't make up for what happened to Bruce, and trust me, I wish I could. I was there because a reserve member of the Justice League needed help. I would rather break your rule than sit by and watch via satellite as you died pointlessly." Clark's noble words were interrupted by the dark, chastising laugh of Dick Grayson. "The Justice League responded to defend their _reserve _member, but couldn't be there for their _founding _member?" He leapt forward towards Superman before beating on his chest like an ape, screaming at him. "YOU LET HIM DIE! YOU WEREN'T THERE FOR HIM!" The tears began to stream down his face as he pounded away, bruising his fists as Clark just stood there, unmoving. "He trusted you, Clark. You were the only one of them he trusted. You were supposed to keep this from happening. I can't lose another father… I…" He broke down into sobs as Clark pulled the young man into his arms, just as he had so many years ago when Scarecrow had gotten Batman with a particularly lethal dose of fear toxin.

He looked to Alfred who simply bowed his head, hiding his own tears, before disappearing back up the stairs into the mansion. "Dick… I am so sorry. This was never supposed to happen. Bruce was always so strong… I always thought he would manage to live longer than me." Clark felt his own tears begin to form and fall as he couldn't help but allow the guilt to consume him. Dick was right. He _should _have been there. Earth was his adopted home and it was his duty to ensure the safety of both the planet and her inhabitants.

"Dick, my intention is to recover his body. Bruce deserves a proper burial, and we all intend to give him one." He looked at the young boy carefully. "I want you to help us. You're the only one who can help us figure the Joker out, and we're certain he still has Bruce's body." Dick nodded and slowly stood, making his way over to the computer. "I can help you from here. Between Büdhaven and Gotham, I don't have time to run around looking for a body." Just like that, Dick was gone and Nightwing was back.

Clark nodded, walking towards the immense computer screen. "Bruce never told us much about the Joker. Anytime the League had any kind of mission that involved him, Batman always managed to go on it alone. He knew what the Joker was capable of, and I guess he was worried that he would manipulate us into doing something we'd regret." Superman clenched his fist, cracking his knuckles audibly.

Nightwing looked at him carefully. "He did it, didn't he? The Joker. He killed Bruce." His voice was dangerously low, rivaling that of his deceased protégé. Clark's silence answered his question. "How could you not tell me? Bruce fought that bastard for years! Refused to kill him! He took so much from us… all of us! How could you keep this from me!" He fought to quell his anger, knowing it was pointless.

Instead, he narrowed his eyes, seemingly staring into Superman's soul. "You will not kill him, Clark. Do you understand me?" The whites of his eyes were nothing but slits as he stared the Boy Scout down. "The Joker is mine." Clark nodded, not wanting to start another argument with the bull headed boy.

He waited patiently as Nightwing turned back towards the computer, typing away fervently. "Joker has countless different hide outs all throughout Gotham, but few are secluded enough to keep Batman in, wounded or not. Now, if J'onn is being blocked, then there are even fewer places the Joker has been known to hide out in that would give him the space to house that kind of equipment." He called up a map of Gotham, three different spots lighting up on the map. "There's Chuckle's Joke Shop, the abandoned Toy Factory, and the Gotham State Fairgrounds." He printed out a grid with different GPS coordinates, handing it to Clark. "There's only one trick to it; you'll have to strike all three at the same time. If you hit one location, and it isn't the right one, he'll know and clean house." Nightwing didn't even look over his shoulder as he continued to type away. "You may have to be in Gotham for this, but you don't have to be in the cave."

Still staring at the computer screen, Dick waited for Clark to get the hint and leave. "Don't come back without Bruce's body." Superman rose into the air before flying off in a burst of speed, leaving Nightwing to his thoughts inside the empty cave.

* * *

><p>"Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl are still on Thanagar. I have not been able to get through to them as they are still helping in the war relief. Needless to say, it will only be the four of us facing the Injustice League." J'onn shut down the communication relay on the main monitor as he turned his attention towards Flash, Green Lantern, and Superman. "So… then it's the four of us against the Injustice League. Do we know exactly where they are?" Flash looked at Superman, who had just come back from the Bat Cave.<p>

"No, Nightwing pinpointed three locations that the Joker may have been able to use, but there's no way of telling which one he's using without going there. The only catch is that we have to infiltrate all three simultaneously. As soon as we attack one location, the Joker will know and start cleaning house. He does that, we'll never find Batman's body." Superman's face was stone as he looked at the three other heroes. "We'll split up. Flash, you and GL take the joke shop. J'onn, you take the toy factory. I'll take the fairgrounds. The second one of us sees the Joker or his goons, let the rest know so we can rendezvous."

Flash nodded, more than willing to take those bastards on mano-a-mano if necessary. He was just happy to be making a move against the men who killed Batman. "When do we leave?" He cracked his knuckles expectantly, read to kill the bastards who killed Batman.

"Flash, we're going in to recover the body and take down the Injustice League, _not _kill them. I made a promise to Nightwing that I wouldn't kill him. That goes for all of us." Superman crossed his arms across his chest as he waited for Flash to dispute this. Instead, the Scarlet Speedster lowered his head and backed away. He wouldn't argue with Superman, not now.

Green Lantern secured his power ring on his finger before surrounding himself and Flash in a green force field and lifting into the air. "We'll head to the joke shop. Let us know when you land in Gotham." Without another word, the pair took off towards Batman's city, leaving J'onn and Superman alone.

"Superman, you are broadcasting your intentions across the Watchtower. You cannot kill the Joker." The Martian Manhunter placed a large, green hand on the boy scout's shoulder, trying his best to get through to his fellow alien. "We all lost a partner, but regardless, killing cannot be condoned. You know thi-" "ENOUGH J'ONN!" Superman's voice echoed through the empty watchtower as he slammed his fists down onto the ledge in front of him, crumbling it into debris. "You all lost a partner. I lost a friend. Batman and I founded the Justice League. _I _know his identity. _I _know where he lives. _I _know who he left behind." He turned away from the green man before he could continue his point making again.

"I'll be at the fairgrounds. Don't take too long getting to the toy shop. Hopefully they'll be there so you don't have to worry about anyone getting killed." Without another word, Superman followed Green Lantern and Flash out the bay doors and headed towards Gotham, leaving J'onn to do the same.

* * *

><p>"This pathetic city is ours!" Lex smiled as he watched Gotham's most wanted flood the streets. He folded his arms across his chest before spotting a green sphere racing through the sky. "Green Lantern. The others won't be far behind." He looked over towards Grodd, Shade, and Grundy. "Follow them. I'll go back to the clown." Without hesitation, Lex took off towards the Joker's hideout. He was not going to let Batman go.<p>

Shade, who was on the asylum's rooftop, watched and waited until he spotted where the duo was headed. "They're at the joke shop. Looking for Joker, no doubt." He waited for Grundy and Grodd to join him on the roof before surrounding them in shadow and transporting the trio to their destination.

Lex stormed into the hideout, kicking the Joker's hyenas out of the way with the help of his kryptonite powered suit. "Joker, Green Lantern and Flash are in Gotham. I sent Grundy, Grodd, and Shade after them, but it's only a matter of time until Superman and the Martian show up." He stopped when he spotted the clown who was sitting in a plush, purple leather chair. "Lexy, you make me laugh! Why do you worry about the Justice League when we have their pet bat?" He pointed over towards where Batman was currently chained.

Hanging from two large chains attached to the ceiling was a large metal rod, which Batman's arms were draped over and chained securely. Blood pooled beneath his feet as he groaned feverishly, somewhere between consciousness and death. He could make out the form of both the Joker and Lex through the blood soaked lenses that covered his half open eyes. He fought to concentrate on their words, catching the last part of the conversation. _So they know. But are they coming for a person or a body? _He hoped it would be the former.

"I see you still haven't killed him." Lex looked at the Batman curiously before his attention was drawn back towards the Joker. "No, he was dead for a moment or two, but the Bat's too stubborn to stay that way for long." To make his point, the Joker threw one of his signature razor joker cards towards his unmoving captive, slicing across his chest. Batman grunted slightly, but didn't move or speak. "Told ya he was-" His rampage was cut off as the entire structure began to shake as if there was an earthquake.

The cause of the earthquake was quickly revealed as an angry shout filled the hideout. "JOKER!" Lex looked at his cohort with a pleased look on his face. "I'll take care of the boy scout. You keep the Bat chained up." Luthor disappeared quickly, heading towards his shouting adversary. He didn't stop until he spotted his prey, blasting Superman with a bright green jolt of kryptonite.

"Lex. Where is he! Where is Joker?" He dodged the first blast, but couldn't avoid the second one, which caught him squarely on the chest. Superman fell to the ground, shaking the foundations of the structure around him. Before Lex could fire at him again, Superman fired a blast of his heat vision at the core of Lex's suit, rupturing the power cell. "No! You idiot!" Lex struck out, connecting with Superman's jaw. His kryptonite encased knuckles took the hero down quickly. Before he could strike a second time, Superman had caught him in his fists and was ripping the suit from his body.

"Superman… stop! You're killing me!" Lex tried to fight off his attacker, but couldn't stop him from ripping the suit, which kept him alive, to shreds. As the bald man finally lost consciousness, Superman dropped his lithe form before heading further into the structure. Heading closer towards his prey.

* * *

><p>"There is no one here. The toy factory has been abandoned for decades. How are you two faring?" J'onn pressed his fingers to his ear to better hear through the comm link. He was hoping that GL and Flash were the ones who would find Batman and not Superman. Lantern could keep Flash from killing the Joker, but there was no one there to stop Superman from ripping the clown apart.<p>

Flash sped through the joke shop, checking both levels and the backrooms in the blink of an eye. "All clear here, J'onn. GL, you comin' inside?" He pressed his fingers against his ears, waiting to hear his partner respond. Instead, he heard the grunts of combat. "You may be clear inside, Flash, but we've got company outside."

Green Lantern threw a giant green fist towards Grundy, throwing him backwards into a solid cement wall. "Flash, for the fastest man alive, you sure like to take your time getting' out here." Before he could react, Gorilla Grodd brought both fists barreling down against the back of GL's head, sending him to the ground. "You see, there is no escaping the inevitable. Your time is up, Green Lantern." Grodd motioned over towards Shade who readied his cane to suffocate his fallen foe in shadow.

Before he could strike, a red flash snapped the cane into splinters. "Ah ah, Shade. I don't take much to people hurting my friends." Flash punched Shade square in the jaw, leaving him unconscious on the floor. "Now for Grodd." He helped GL off the ground before turning towards Grodd, ready to fight.

"Why do you get up? I'm just going to knock you bac-" Grodd froze, his whole body tensed, before collapsing to the ground. Standing behind him was the Martian Manhunter. "You sounded like you could use some help." Flash nodded with a smile while Lantern brushed himself off.

"If the joke shop and toy factory were clear, then that just leaves one place." GL looked at J'onn reluctantly as they all realized the danger this posed. "Superman is alone with the Joker."

* * *

><p>"Joker, where are you?" Superman lit the canopy of one of the game tents on fire with a blast of heat vision as he continued to trample through the old fair grounds for his prey. "Come out here you pathetic clown!" He smashed the burning wooden frame with his bare hands before moving towards the large circus tent in the center. "You will pay for what you did to Batman." He pulled apart the curtains on the large tent before stepping inside.<p>

A single spot light lit up the hanging body of the Dark Knight, the light glinting off the pool of blood below the motionless form. While he wanted nothing more than to dart to his fallen friend's side and make sure he wasn't alive, he knew better than to rush in head first. With the Joker, everything was always a trap.

"Show your face, coward!" The only response he received was a sick and twisted laugh; one that could only belong to the Joker. "Oh Supey… you're one to be calling other's cowards." Superman looked around fervently, desperate to find where the voice was coming from. "It's not hard to be brave when you're invulnerable, Superman. For people like me and poor little Batsy… well, we don't have any powers. I mean, just standing here and defying you should earn me a medal of bravery hehehehehe…" He broke down into another fit of laugher as Superman continued to scan the room, this time with his x-ray vision.

"Stop looking around Supes. Lex told me about your lead problem, so I came fully equipped." Joker skipped out into the center of the tent, dancing around Batman's corpse. Superman focused his hearing on the vigilante's body but couldn't hear a pulse. Nothing. He was gone. "What's wrong, Supey? It looks like you just lost your favorite pet bat."

That was the last straw. Before the Joker could blink, Superman had flown up to him and wrapped his hands around his throat. "I will kill you, Joker. For everything you've done." Despite the fact that he was cutting off the Joker's air ways the sick clown continued to cackle maniacally. Superman looked over each and every wound on Batman's body; the gunshot wounds to his thigh and shoulder, the stab mark in his hand, the gash in his side, the blood across his chest, the broken ankle. It was all him.

"Hehehehehehe oh Supey, how you've failed. Look at how much you let me break him, and boy was it fun. I skipped and danced and stabbed and shot him, and you let me." His grin grew even as his pale face took on a bluish hue. "Tell me, Supes. How does it feel to let your best friend _die?_ HeeheheeheheheheHOOHAHAHAHAA!" His laughter echoed evilly through the tent as Superman focused his gaze on the Joker's forehead, ready to melt the brains inside the psychopath's skull. That's when he heard it. A groan.

"Batman?" Superman loosened his grip on the Joker's throat just slightly enough to allow him to breath as he stared long and hard at the Dark Knight's hanging body. He listened intently, waiting to hear the sign of life again. Just as he was about to give up, he heard another sound, this time a grunt followed up by a few expletives. "Su…Superman… don't."

Without another thought, he flew to his friend's side, ripping the chains apart and lowering the Batman to the ground carefully. Once he was sure neither would be heard by anyone surrounding them, he began inspecting each wound, cauterizing the lacerations to staunch the blood flow. "Bruce… Bruce it's me. It's Clark. I… we all thought you were dead." The whites of Batman's eyes reopened slowly as he focused on the red 'S' in front of him. "Superman…" His voice was cracked as he whispered through the pain. "…get… Joker."

Just as Clark sat Batman up against a metal post, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder blade just before his strength started sapping away from him. "Kryptonite…" Superman slouched over, collapsing to the ground in a sweaty heap. Batman looked forward, staring at the Joker through angered eyes. "Poor little Supey." Joker stood over his new prey, pointing his pistol at the Man of Steel's temple. "But, if you can't grow the balls to kill me, then I guess I'll just have to do what Lex is too stupid to do." He kicked Superman where the bullet was lodged in his back before giggling and skipping around him. "See, Batsy, either way I win. I-" He stopped when he looked over at the metal pole where the Batman was _supposed_ to be. Only problem, he wasn't anymore.

"Silly Bats, you're almost dead. Why are you wasting your time trying to save the invulnerable one?" He kicked Superman in the side of the head to get his point across, though only served to crack his toes in the process. "I can hear you breathing, Batsy. You've gotten sloppy." He fired a round off to his right where he thought Batman was hiding. "You missed." The Joker turned around just in time to have a strong, black gloved fist connect with his jaw, knocking a few teeth loose. "You forgot one important thing, Joker." He took his fighting stance on weak legs, ready to attack, batarang in hand.

Joker wiped the blood from his chin angrily, searching for his gun. "Oh? What's that?" He looked up, unable to find Batman in the tent. "I'm the goddamn Batman." Without another word, he struck out at the Joker, shattering his nose and rendering him unconscious.

Weakly, Batman dropped to his knees, forcing himself to crawl towards Superman. "Stay still. This is going to hurt." Carefully, the Dark Knight pulled out a pair of tweezers and began to remove the kryptonite bullet from the fallen hero's back. Once it was out, Batman used all his strength to throw the bullet across the tent before collapsing from exhaustion.

The last thing Batman was aware of before consciousness escaped him was four different heroes looking at him incredulously. Had he been able to, he would have kicked all their asses for standing there so dumbstruck while the Joker hadn't been properly secured. Didn't matter now, though, as he was out cold.

* * *

><p>"I swear to God, Clark, if there is anyone else in this room while my mask is off, I will find that kryptonite bullet and shove it in your spine." Despite the extra raspiness in his voice and the heavy amounts of gauze concealing the majority of his body, Batman had come out of surgery ok. "It's good to see you, too, Bruce, but there is one other person here." Before Bruce could continue to berate Clark, a shaky voice cleared it's throat from the corner. "Bruce… I… uh, well, I thought you were…"<p>

Dick pushed himself off the counter he had been sitting on for the past few hours. He hadn't left Bruce's bedside since the Caped Crusader had been brought in with faint life signs. While he would never admit it verbally, Dick was worried that their last argument, over something stupid no less, would be the last time he ever spoke to his mentor. He didn't want it to end that way. "I'm glad you're alive, Bruce." Not liking the tension, Dick felt obligated to crack a joke. "Now I don't have to worry about taking care of two shithole cities. I got enough on my plate with Blüdhaven, let alone Gotham." He gave Bruce a sly smile as his mentor kept his facial expressions emotionless, but Dick could see how he felt in his eyes.

In all honesty, Dick couldn't think of a time where Bruce had come closer to death. It was a rattling experience, knowing you could have died if things had gone in the opposite direction just ever so slightly, and while Bruce would never say it, Dick knew it bothered him. Weakness was _not _something the Batman experienced. "How are your wounds? Killer Croc got a good blow in on you." Obviously wanting to change subjects, and forever concerned for his protégé's wellbeing, Bruce decided to inquire about the wound to Dick's side and back.

He couldn't help but smile. "Nothing that Alfred couldn't handle. He caught an artery, that's why it looked bad, but Superman cauterized the wound which gave Al enough time to stitch me up." Dick stood, placing his mask over his eyes. "Speaking of which, I need to check in with Alfred. He's coming up with the cover story for your injuries as we speak. We're trying to think of something that doesn't make you sound like _too _much of a moron." Just as Nightwing reached the door, he gave his mentor one final look. "I'm glad you're ok. The world isn't ready to continue without Batman."

Once he was sure that Dick was gone, Bruce looked over at Superman, who looked stoic as ever. "I trust the Joker is locked up in Arkham along with the rest of the maniacs who escaped." Superman nodded, knowing what Bruce was really trying to verify. "He's alive, secured in the bowels of Arkham. Lex is in a super-max security prison with Grodd, Copperhead, Shade, and Grundy."

Bruce nodded, grunting in pain with the movement. "Tell me, Clark. If I were dead and that was actually my lifeless body hanging there, with the Joker taunting you… would you have killed him?" His blue eyes seemed to pierce straight through the Man of Steel as he was put on the spot. "Bruce… you fight psychopaths, I fight super powered aliens. I don't have to play mind games on a regular basis. In all honesty, I have no clue what I would have done. I was ready to lobotomize him for what he did, not just to you, but to Dick and Alfred, too."

Slowly, Bruce forced himself to sit upwards, trying to ignore the pain. "Now you know why I've kept all of you away. It's easier to keep yourself from killing someone when you have less means to do so. Sure, I could snap his neck or suffocate him or slit his throat with a batarang, but I can't fry his brains with my eyes. It's too easy for you and the others." He cringed as his ribs shifted uncomfortably before bringing his arm around his abdomen gently.

He stood carefully, smirking to himself as he noticed there was a brace on his injured leg. Apparently, they had finally learned that Batman wasn't going to stay bed ridden. "You should have let him kill me back in the forest and just ended it all. You all let your emotions get the best of you there, and it could have cost countless people their lives."

Superman looked at his friend incredulously. "It could have cost you your life, too. In case you've forgotten, we defend people, regardless of whether they're bull headed vigilantes or not." He crossed his arms across his chest in front of him before continuing. "Speaking of which, Dick sure has a temper. When we thought you were dead, and he found out, he banned us from Gotham and Blüdhaven. He threatened me with Kryptonite. Remind you of anyone?"

Batman looked at Superman blankly. He wanted to go off on the man in front of him, but at the same time knew he owed his life to him. Instead, he decided honesty. "Clark, I _was _dead… and I saw them. I saw my parents. I didn't feel pain, or anguish… it was so peaceful. Then it was ripped away from me by the Joker when he resuscitated me. That was more painful than any of these physical wounds he gave me." He quickly moved past Superman and over to the costume Dick had apparently brought up from the cave. Using his left arm, the only arm he could currently use, he pulled the cowl over his head before visibly relaxing. He dressed himself slowly in his armor before turning to look at Superman defiantly. Every bit of gauze had been covered, and with the tight support of the suit, he was able to move his injured extremities much easier.

"Is it safe to come in here? Are you decent Bats?" Flash wandered into the infirmary with one hand secured over his eyes and the other reached out in front of him to make sure he didn't walk into anything. He, like John and J'onn, had been banned from the infirmary while Bruce was in recovery as to keep his identity secret.

Batman rolled his eyes before grabbing the Scarlet Speedster's wrist right before he would have pushed on the bullet wound in his shoulder. "Yes, Flash, it's safe. I'm fine." Flash opened his eyes, smiling widely as he resisted the urge to give the vigilante a hug. "Bats… I'm-" "Flash, don't make me hit you. I wouldn't want you to stay in the infirmary." He began to walk past him, before stopping and speaking over his shoulder. "Besides, I already told the Joker to kidnap you next time. Then whatever ransom he wants might actually get paid. Then again, I also warned him you might drive him insaner." He chuckled to himself before walking out of the infirmary, leaving both Flash and Superman with dumbstruck looks on their faces. "Supes… did he just tell a joke?" Superman shook his head. "I think he was being serious, Flash."

* * *

><p>Batman swung onto the rooftop of Arkham Asylum, right next to a large window which looked into one of the interrogation rooms where a grey headed man was sitting in an empty room, waiting for his subject. Carefully, the Dark Knight climbed in the window, hiding in the shadow. "Are they bringing him?" His voice was low and menacing as he carefully studied Commissioner Jim Gordon. "Yes, Batman." He looked over towards the shadow, not needing to see who he was talking to. "It's good to have you back, Batman. Nightwing's grown into a fine young man and all, but he's not you. Gotham still needs Batman."<p>

Though he knew the Commissioner couldn't see it, Batman had a small smile on his face. "It's good to be back, Jim." Batman had been absent from the streets since he had been captured almost a month prior by the Injustice League. He had spent the time healing and retraining while Nightwing worked to defend the city. Rumor was spreading quickly through the underworld that Batman had died at the hand of the Joker.

"Ahh, good to see you , Jimmy! You getting used to working directly with bird brain?" Joker's wrists were cuffed to the table in between himself and the Commissioner by two large orderlies before leaving the room, per James Gordon's request.

Jim just smiled at the Joker. "Actually, Joker, I have someone who wanted to see you. Said he missed you." He leaned back in his chair before lighting up a single cigarette, enjoying the confused look on the clown's face.

Slowly, Batman walked forward from the shadow, standing directly behind the Joker. "If you want me dead, you'll have to do a better job next time, Joker." Without another word, he slammed the clown's head on the metal table before disappearing back into the shadows and reappearing next to the Commissioner.

The Joker, who was now slightly dazed, had a look of awe and glee on his face. "Oh, Batsy! I knew you couldn't be dead. You wouldn't dare disappoint me so easily." While the painted grin stayed, the Joker's tone and expressions showed his displeasure.

Batman leaned over the table, speaking in not but a low growl. "Tell me, Joker, what does it feel like knowing you will be the laughing stock of the underworld now that everyone will know that you _failed_ to kill me? How will it feel for people to be laughing _at_ you instead of _with _you?" He gave him a twisted grin before slipping back into the shadows right as the Joker began to the shout profanities.

Three orderlies ran in and quickly sedated the unruly clown before removing him from the room. The Commissioner followed, heading out to his patrol car parked in front of the asylum, a smile etched on his face that could rival the Joker's. They had won.


End file.
